I started feeling unwell on Friday, January 10, and assumed I had the flu. I took over-the-counter medications and felt better the next day. On Saturday, I got up, got dressed, picked up my granddaughter, and went about my day.
At one point, I bent over to throw a piece of trash away—and suddenly, it felt like a ton of weights was on my chest. I stood up and began coughing, with pain spreading across my chest and rib cage.
I waited for about seven hours, hoping it would pass. I took a shower, but I couldn’t rest and found no comfort. Eventually, I drove myself to the emergency room.
After describing my symptoms, I was taken to a room where doctors ordered labs, an X-ray, and a CT scan of my chest. The results showed a pulmonary embolism. Immediately, my life changed.
I was transferred from one hospital to another and admitted to the ICU. I am alive today because of that care. By January 30, I had my first follow-up appointment with oncology. I was initially placed on heparin and am now on apixaban for the rest of my life.
I have since been told that I have a blood clotting disorder.
This was not my first experience with blood clots. In 2020, following surgery, I developed a Superior Mesenteric Vein (SMV) thrombosis and was treated with apixaban for six months before being cleared. I never expected to face something like this again.
Since this event, I have not fully returned to my normal daily activities, including water aerobics and pastoring. I remain cautious and concerned about additional clots forming. I continue to experience shortness of breath and chest pain and have been back to the emergency room multiple times since my discharge, including one visit for severe nosebleeds.
Through it all, I hold onto my faith.
I am a woman of great faith, and truly, my faith is being tested.
If I could give advice to others, it would be this: if you have symptoms, do not blow them off as something minor. Listen to your body and seek medical care.
